Politicians blast BP, Coast Guard over spill

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — BP PLC and the Coast Guard were excoriated Tuesday by Louisiana’s Republican U.S. senator who charged the oil giant was trying to “run away from its full cleanup responsibilities” two years after the nation’s worst offshore oil spill and that federal regulators are “too cozy” with BP.

U.S. Sen. David Vitter criticized the cleanup at a field briefing in New Orleans of the Committee on Environment and Public Works, which he sits on.

Vitter expressed frustration that more is not being done to clean up about 200 miles of oiled Louisiana coast. Vitter and other Louisiana officials contend the Coast Guard has allowed BP to wind down cleanup operations prematurely.

The Coast Guard denied that Tuesday.

Although invited to appear, BP did not have a representative at the Senate briefing.